Nigerian Troops Attack Boko Haram Hideouts In Maiduguri

Map of the West African state of Nigeria where unrest continues in the north of the country. A bomb explosion targeted police on December 13, 2011 in Maiduguri., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Nigerian troops attack Boko Haram hideouts in Maiduguri

Wed Jun 6, 2012 12:24AM GMT
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The Nigerian military’s Joint Task Force has attacked suspected hideouts of Boko Haram militants in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, which is the capital of Borno State.

"There have been at least eight explosions in these neighborhoods and soldiers have moved in with tanks and have taken over the whole area," AFP quoted one resident as saying on Tuesday.

Many residents from the Shehuri, Abbaganaram, Budum, and Hausari neighborhoods and other areas fled their homes at the first signs of the attack, which lasted for more than three hours on Tuesday evening.

"Since yesterday, residents of these areas have been deserting their homes. Explosions and gunfire erupted in these neighborhoods and soldiers cordoned off these areas," another resident said.

On Monday, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack on a church on the outskirts of the northern city of Bauchi in which 15 people were killed and more than 40 others were injured.

On May 11, Nigerian security forces arrested Suleiman Mohammed, Boko Haram's head of operations in Kano, along with his wife and five children, during a raid on his house in the northern city.

The extremist group has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since 2009.

Human rights groups report that violent actions by Boko Haram since mid-2009 have claimed more than 1,000 lives, including over 300 this year alone.